Here is the first look at the Mercedes car Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton will drive during the 2018 season.

The Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport team took the wraps off their 2018 challenger, the F1 W09 EQ Power+, today at Silverstone.

Hertfordshire-born F1 driver Hamilton won the world title for the fourth time last season and will be hoping to make it five in Mercedes’ most advanced Formula One car ever.

The Silver Arrows F1 W09 EQ Power+ features the controversial Halo, as can be seen in the pictures.

Team partners, guests and media joined the team for the reveal show at Silverstone, while Mercedes fans around the world took part in the action and watched the unveiling of the new F1 challenger live online.

As the most advanced machine ever conceived by Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport, the 2018 car aims to write its own chapter in the Silver Arrows’ long racing heritage while at the same time pushing the technological boundaries of motorsport.

The F1 W09 EQ Power+ is improved in every area over its predecessor, and team bosses hope it will become the fastest Mercedes Formula One car in history.

Christened Mercedes-AMG F1 W09 EQ Power+, the new car proudly carries the “EQ Power+” designation which was launched to the world on last year’s car.

As part of the naming strategy of Mercedes-AMG, “EQ Power+” stands for the brand’s future performance hybrid models.

The EQ Power+ designation places the F1 car and its state-of-the-art hybrid power unit at the forefront of the future Mercedes-AMG line-up, showcasing how F1 technology is accelerating the future of motor racing and automotive technology in general.

The launch was part of the team’s official 100km filming day, during which the F1 W09 EQ Power+ completed its first laps of Silverstone’s 2.98 km International Circuit with Valtteri Bottas behind the wheel.

Of the launch, team principal Toto Wolff said: “It is always a very exciting time because what has been designed is coming together and coming alive.

“It’s never going completely seamlessly or smoothly when you’re trying to push the boundaries.

“The planners have got thousands of lines of plans to deliver on, the design group have got to deliver several hundred new designs per day in order that they can be made.

“The test and development group and the team running the dynos have to stand ready as the pieces come in hot from the machines, to assemble them and put them on all the in-house testing kit.

“This allows us to be reasonably sure that everything is strong enough and has the right shape and will perform reliably.”

While working on different areas of the car, the approach to developing and building the new car is the same in Brackley and Brixworth.

F1 W09 EQ Power+ launch

Last year’s championships don’t impact the way the two factories prepare for the season.

Every team member knows that the points reset to zero for 2018 – and that even greater challenges await in 2018.

“We are trying to stay humble and just keep doing the fundamental work we have always done,” said Andy Cowell, managing director of Mercedes-AMG High Performance Powertrains.

“There is no secret formula to what we do. It is plain, honest engineering work.

“If there’s an idea of how to reduce friction or improve combustion efficiency, we discuss it in our forum in a very forthright way. The sources of all ideas are human creativity, passion and enthusiasm.”

The new car’s first shakedown run was watched with excitement, not just by the team members at the circuit, in Brackley and Brixworth, but also by colleagues and fans around the globe.

“It’s really amazing to know how many hours have been spent on designing and manufacturing the new car and how much effort people have put into it,” said Valtteri Bottas.

“As a driver you feel really special to be able to drive that machine.”

Hamilton said: “It’s very humbling to see everything coming together.

“People have worked so hard on this car, committed for such a long period of time. I’m just keen to get out there and take it to its limits.

“I’m one of only two people who get to drive it and there’s this proud feeling because I know how much work has gone into getting the car ready.”